Clan Steel Viper was one of the original twenty Clans founded by Nicholas Kerensky, named after the Steel Vipers found on Babylon. Their beginnings were marked by treachery due to the actions of their founder, now simply known as the Traitor Khan, and they were long regarded by other Clans as self-serving. However, the Steel Vipers would eventually find their calling in espousing the recreation of the Star League, not through conquest but cooperation with the Inner Sphere. Despite this decidedly Warden philosophy many warriors within the Clan hold to the Crusader viewpoint, and the Steel Vipers took part in the Clan Invasion. While capturing many Inner Sphere worlds the Steel Vipers were eventually driven back to Clan space by their rival, Clan Jade Falcon, and during the Wars of Reaving the Clan was Annihilated.

When Nicholas Kerensky founded Clan Steel Viper, he originally endorsed Antonius Zalman to serve as its first Khan. Antonius Zalman had served under Nicholas' father fighting the Usurper in the Star League Civil War and demonstrated unshakable loyalty to the Kerensky family. At 80 years of age and in failing health however, Antonius knew he was unfit for the honor and so refused. Instead he asked that Nicholas instead endorse a protégé of his: LieutenantEllie Kinnison, a former member of the 131st BattleMech Division. In turn Ellie Kinnison agreed to accept this responsibility only on the condition that Antonius accept the position of saKhan. Antonius agreed to this arraignment and both were voted in by their Clan.[1]

Under her mentor's continued guidance Khan Kinnison helped shaped the Steel Vipers into an effective fighting force molded under the new Clan military system. She instilled in them those qualities which had served Antonius so well in his fight against the Usurper: flexibility, adaptability, and independence. Khan Kinnison's role in shaping the Clan would be expunged in later Clan histories which instead emphasized saKhan Zalman, eventually referring to him as their true spiritual founder. Regardless, saKhan Zalman died after just two years of service when a training accident took his life. His loss would force the Steel Vipers to vote in Star ColonelSteven Breen as his replacement prior to their return to the Pentagon Worlds.[1][2]

After the success of the Pentagon campaign, Clan Steel Viper was placed in charge of occupying Arcadia and assimilating its populations into the Clan way of life. Under the leadership of Khan Kinnison the Steel Vipers proved highly efficient at this task, earning the attention of the ilKhan when he made a tour of the planet. During this tour Khan Kinnison presented him with a gift of a huge steel viper taken from the planet's jungles, possibly an early sign of her growing affection for Nicholas and an attempt to win his.[1][3]

In the following years all of the Clans grew in size with the births of both freeborns and trueborns except, most notably, the Steel Vipers: where a typical Clan sibko would graduate four or five warriors, the Steel Vipers were instead graduating one or two. Concerned by this, the ilKhan dispatched Clan Sea Fox scientists to examine this issue. Khan Kinnison gave the observers full access to the Steel Viper breeding program and after much examination the Sea Foxes concluded there was nothing inherently wrong with the program; the Steel Vipers simply followed a more demanding program which graduated fewer warriors but of higher quality. They returned to the ilKhan with their findings, along with an invitation for him and his wife Jennifer Winson to vacation on Arcadia and inspect the program themselves, to which he agreed.[3]

Khan Kinnison took a personal interest in arraigning all security matters for the ilKhan's visit, unwilling to let an unusual yet inevitable spike in rebel activity taking place within Steel Viper territory to derail the visit. While saKhan Breen was in charge of security, every decision of his was double-checked on a daily basis by Kinnison. When the ilKhan and his entourage had arrived in-system and were half a day away from the planet, she began to check in with him every hour to ensure all preparations were complete.[3]

With less than an hour until the ilKhan's arrival, saKhan Breen decided to make a final personal tour of the drop site where, stepping inside a storage warehouse, he was attacked by three masked warriors. He subdued all three at the cost of a broken arm, but nevertheless sounded the alarm and began searching the warehouse for more assailants. He took by surprise two more warriors setting up a high-powered Sniper Rifle and killed them with his Laser Pistol. Breen searched the two bodies but found no evidence as to their plan...until the voice of Khan Ellie Kinnison came through the assassins' two-way communicator.[3]

Steven Breen rushed to the landing site where the ilKhan's DropShip had touched down, arriving as the ramp unfolded and Nicholas and Jennifer descended to meet the waiting Kinnison. Having seized one of the assassins' pistols he fired at the Steel Viper Khan, hitting her in the shoulder and dropping her to her knees. As Breen was set upon by three other Steel Viper Warriors and both Nicholas and Jeniffer were surrounded by their bodyguards, only the Steel Viper saKhan and the ilKhan's wife saw what happened next: Khan Kinnison drawing a pistol and aiming it squarely at Jennifer Winson. Managing to break free of his attackers, saKhan Breen drew his laser pistol and fired again at his Khan. This time his shot punched through Kinnison's head and killed her instantly.[3][4]

Steven Breen surrendered himself to joint Wolf/Steel Viper custody while the ilKhan and his advisers investigated the cause of the assassination attempt. Nearly twenty-four hours after the attempt on his life, ilKhan Kerensky and Steven Breen appeared before the Bloodnamed of Clan Steel Viper, where Nicholas revealed the findings of his investigations. By interrogating the subdued conspirators and searching through Khan Kinnison's personal effects, especially her diary, Nicholas revealed that Ellie Kinnison had developed an unhealthy obsession with him and hoped that by killing his wife she would somehow take her place at his side. To the relief of the assembled warriors he chose not to punish the Steel Vipers for the pathetic plot of a deranged woman, but instead condemned her to obscurity in what would become known as the Ritual of Abjuration. With the endorsement of their ilKhan the Steel Viper Bloodnamed elected Steven Breen to take over as senior Khan and elected Star Colonel Shandra Zalman as the new saKhan. In the months that followed, Khan Breen would lead his Clan to victory in a number of Trials of Possession launched by other Clans seeking to take advantage of the situation.[4]

While the Golden Century was a boon to most of the Clans, it would prove to be a rough time for the Steel Vipers. Compelled to excel in military matters, the Clan's martial prowess grew in the years after the Traitor Khan's death, though this came at a cost to the civilian castes whose opportunities for growth were curtailed. This lead to restlessness among the lower castes which led to rebellions becoming an every-day part of life for the Clan, which in turn increased the warrior's commitment to military excellence. The Clan became aimless, its warriors losing focus on anything but training for war purely for the sake of it. This loss of purpose also affected the civilian castes: scientists were unsure of where to focus their research and merchants had trouble establishing stable trading partnerships.[4] After Steven Breen the Clan suffered from a string of Khans who not only failed to harness their Clan's efforts towards a higher purpose but pursued their own personal agendas with no regard for precedent. Khan Jacob Masters for example failed to appreciate the value of OmniMechs following their introduction and did not peruse this technology, instead directing his scientists to create "the ultimate 'Mech weapon" (which eventually lead to the development of the Ultra Autocannon/20). These Khans were also content to allow the Steel Vipers to fall behind on exploring and exploiting new worlds.[5] This flip-flopping proved to be a source of frustration when other Clans attempted to work together with what derisively became known as the "rubber viper."[4][6][7]

Sanra Mercer

This changed in 2860 when Khan Masters nominated a brilliant young MechWarrior, Sanra Mercer, to the position of saKhan. Khan Masters believed Mercer, who had espoused no political views at all during her career, would be a loyal aide in fulfilling his personal plots. The magnitude of Masters' error became known in a matter of months as Sanra Mercer began circulating among Steel Viper warriors what she called Nicholas Kerensky's "true vision" for the Clans, claiming to have recordings of secret meetings which took place between Kerensky and Steven Breen. In these recordings Mercer claimed that the ilKhan intended for the Clans to eventually return to the Inner Sphere and reconquer all of the worlds which once belonged to the Terran Hegemony. In this respect Clan Steel Viper would serve as the ilClan, the leader of the Clans, since the others were too caught up in their petty interests to implement the Founder's vision. Once the Hegemony was liberated the Steel Vipers would turn towards the rest of the Sphere, bur rather than subjugate them through naked oppression Clan Steel Viper would instead help guide the Great Houses in the formation of a new Star League...after their armies had been defeated in honorable combat, of course. Once the leadership of the Great Houses had been brought into line their people would be taught the error of their ways and the wisdom of the Founder by the Steel Viper civilian castes, who themselves would receive rich rewards after years of austerity.[6][7][8]

Sanra Mercer never produced evidence as to the existence of these recordings, much less their content, but it mattered not. Even those warriors not swayed by her charisma and who questioned the source of this information were willing to overlook such things if it gave their aimless Clan a higher, glorious purpose. Support for Mercer grew among the low-ranking warriors until she became a threat to Khan Masters and the current power structure. Hoping to regain control of the situation Khan Masters convened the Clan Council and charged Mercer with treason. While the eloquence of Sanra Mercer won her many more converts among the Bloodnamed, she was still found guilty. Mercer challenged the verdict to a Trial of Refusal and faced off against Khan Masters and his aerospace-heavy force at two-to-one odds. The battle was going in Masters' favor when a lucky Gauss Rifle shot from Mercer's Highlander hit the Khan's Aerospace Fighter cockpit, killing him instantly and demoralizing his force enough to allow victory for the saKhan. Shortly thereafter, Sanra Mercer was elected senior Khan on 12 August.[6][7][8]

Khan Mercer immediately went about tearing down the old power structure and unifying her Clan towards the goal of Kerensky's "true vision." This included removing those who disagreed with this new direction, either through reappointment or Trials, and consolidating her power base with those loyal to her ideals, such as pushing through the election of Habash Grimani as the new saKhan. Her position secured, she began to formalize a policy of protecting the Steel Vipers from what she privately called the "corrupting influence" of the other Clans. Her first edict was to completely ban the lower castes of Clan Steel Viper from interacting with those of any other Clans, all except for the merchants, who would remain under close supervision of the warriors.[6][5]

The warriors of the Steel Viper Clan welcomed these policy changes, seeing them as a natural progression from the defensive mindset they'd adopted following the Traitor Khan's actions. Many other Clans saw it differently however, with some accusing the Steel Vipers of following in the footsteps of the Not-Named Clan. Khan Mercer defended her actions in both words and deeds as being orthodox, saying the Steel Vipers still believed in the teachings of the Founder and even that the other Clans had a role to play in the "true vision" she espoused, though her Clan would be at the forefront. In the end the Grand Council dismissed her policies and statements as indicative of youthful arrogance and encouraged other Clans to do the same.[6][5]

As she promised Khan Mercer's isolationist policy was not meant to completely cut them off from the rest of the Clans: Steel Viper warriors were encouraged to test themselves by launching attacks against the other Clans. The Steel Vipers made up lost ground by finally acquiring OmniMech designs through these efforts, as well as the technology behind Battle Armor and new genetic material. Bowing to the wishes of her merchant caste, Khan Mercer even authorized the founding of several new colonies, despite fears such distant settlements might stray from the "true vision."[6][9]

This policy helped Clan Steel Viper earn the enmity of Clan Snow Raven during the conflict over ownership of Hellgate between 2897 and 2899. An inhospitable world, Hellgate was rich in Germanium and ideally situated as a trading hub. The Snow Ravens put much effort into colonizing Hellgate, including the construction of agro-domes to feed the planet's population. Rather than attempt to conquer the whole planet Clan Steel Viper instead fought a series of Trials for control of the agro-domes and in the end won. Denied the ability to produce food locally and unable to import sufficient supplies, Clan Snow Raven was forced to cede control of the planet to the Steel Vipers.[10][11]

It was also during this time the Steel Vipers became enemies of Clan Jade Falcon, although not on purpose. In the Grand Council the Steel Vipers frequently voted against policies put forth by the Jade Falcons; this opposition was not for personal reasons but as a matter of principle. Clan Jade Falcon saw it differently however and in 2906 decided to retaliate by launching an assault on the Steel Viper's capital on New Kent. After 24 hours of hard fighting the Steel Vipers emerged victorious, but not without a heavy cost: Khan Mercer died in the final battle when a volley of missiles destroyed her Highlander's cockpit. Sanra Mercer's legacy would not end with her life however, and for the next few decades succeeding Khans would uphold the "true vision" and continue her isolationist policies.[9][10]

At the dawn of the 31st Century and the start of the Political Century, Clan society had begun to divide itself between two competing philosophies, the Crusaders who believed in conquering the Inner Sphere and the Wardens who opposed them. Given their well-known views on the subject, many observers believed Clan Steel Viper would declare for the Crusaders and add their military strength to the cause. Indeed many Steel Vipers privately relished the opportunity to lead the Clans in returning to the Inner Sphere, but they also had their misgivings. Returning to an Inner Sphere which had been burned to ash in the Crusaders' reckless attack would not provide a conducive environment to recreating the Star League through cooperation. In the end Khan Royce Chapman chose to keep his Clan neutral.[9][10]

In 3000 Khan Nadia Winson of Clan Ghost Bear made the first proposal in the Grand Council for the Clans to conquer the Inner Sphere. Seeking to prevent the invasion for as long as possible, Khan Kerlin Ward of Clan Wolf proposed the Dragoon Compromise and began lobbying the other Khans for support. When he approached the Steel Viper Khans, Kerlin appealed to their philosophical leanings to gain their support: only with the data provided by Wolf's Dragoons would the Steel Vipers have the information needed to gain the cooperation of the Inner Sphere in recreating the Star League. Overcoming his bias against freeborns, Khan Chapman supported the Dragoon Compromise. For the next few years the information the Dragoons returned with did prove helpful: it confirmed the Great Houses had indeed survived the Succession Wars, which gave the Steel Vipers hope there would be leaders among them wise enough to convert to the "true vision."[9][10]

The Steel Vipers continued to block further invasion proposals until 3048, when Khan Leo Showers of Clan Smoke Jaguar revealed information from the seized Outbound Light explorer to give the impression the Inner Sphere had discovered the Clans. The Steel Viper Khans, Natalie Breen and Perigard Zalman, were compelled by this information to vote in favor of invasion, and the motion passed in the Grand Council. Now that the invasion was a reality, the Steel Vipers sought to win a place in the vanguard of the invasion, not just to fulfill the "true vision" but to hopefully mitigate the other Crusaders' bloodthirsty tendencies. The Clan did well in the Trials to determine who would invade the Inner Sphere but in the end achieved mixed results: they would not serve as one of the four primary invading Clans, but had won themselves a place in the invasion as the fifth "reserve" Clan.[10][12]

As the reserve Clan in the invasion, the Steel Vipers could only watch as the other four Invader Clans overpowered the Inner Sphere and conquered world after world. Such disappointment only increased thanks to the "dishonorable" tasks they were forced to undertake, including garrisoning worlds conquered by the Ghost Bears during the third wave of the invasion. Some solace came when Khans Breen and Zalman noticed the invasion's progress was noticeably slower than planned, and anticipated their Clan would soon be called forth to shore up the advance. Instead the invasion came to an abrupt halt when Leo Showers, ilKhan and leader of the invasion force, was killed in orbit above Radstadt. The invasion was put on hold as the Invader Clans returned to Clan space to elect a new ilKhan, Ulric Kerensky.[10]

It was Ulric Kerensky who activated Clan Steel Viper and added them to the invasion force, although they would be force to share the same invasion corridor as the Jade Falcons. In this way Kerensky hoped to sabotage the Jade Falcons' advance towards Terra by pairing them with a hated rival. For their part the Steel Vipers were simply happy to finally take part in the invasion. The Jade Falcons were forced to hand over one of their planets to the Steel Vipers and chose Waldorff, a world far removed from the front lines. In thanks for this gracious gesture the Steel Vipers retook Twycross, site of the Jade Falcons' most humiliating defeat at the hands of the Federated Commonwealth, and during the Fifth Wave of the invasion targeted Jade Falcon and Spheroid worlds alike. When Ulric Kerensky approached the Clans with ComStar's plan for a proxy battle, the Steel Viper Khans agreed.[10]

Assigned the targets of Kozice Ranch Station and Kelly Springs during the Battle of Tukayyid, the Steel Viper Khans bid three Galaxies, the front-line Alpha and Gamma with the second-line Zeta Galaxy held in reserve. Setting down en masse on the open expanse of the Kozice Plains, Alpha and Gamma Galaxies both advanced via the Devil's Bath, a horrific combination of geysers, boiling mud and narrow paths walled by massive granite columns, stretching for dozens of kilometers between the Viper's dropzone and their target cities. [13][14][15]

With the tight paths negating the Clan's weapons superior range and missteps losing entire Stars to the bottomless pools of boiling mud, Khan Natalie Breen realized too late her troops had stumbled into a massive trap. Attempting to pull back and go around the Devil's Bath, a desperate PrecentorBeeshor Yekel of Com Guard6th Division issued an insulting public challenge to goad them into continuing their attack via the Bath. Enraged by the insult, the Vipers redoubled their advance, pushing the 6th and 78th Division through Devil's Bath. While ultimately obliterating both divisions, both Alpha and Gamma Galaxies had used up their ammunition in the process, with elite 1st Division blocking Zeta's attempts to resupply them.[13][14][15]

With Zeta reinforcing the virtually unarmed Alpha and Gamma as they reached the far-side of the Bath, the Steel Viper advance met the fresh and untouched 321st and 401st Divisions who stalled the Vipers until the 1st and 386th Divisions could enter the fray and finally drive them back. Recognizing her blind rage had doomed her forces and with the defeat of several other Clans freeing up other Divisions from other fronts that could be redeployed against them, Khan Breen ordered her warriors to board their DropShips in defeat, ultimately stepping down and allowing Perigard Zalman to become Khan.[13][14][15]

Although Clan Steel Viper had failed at the Battle of Tukayyid, their losses had been much lighter than those suffered by the other participating Clans. As such Khan Zalman and saKhan Christopher Ahmed were able to quickly rebuild their forces and direct their warrior's anger at a new target: Clan Jade Falcon. Between the time of the loss at Tukayyid and the middle of 3055, Clan Steel Viper succeeded in conquering nine worlds held by the Jade Falcons. This expansion of their territory gave Clan Steel Viper access to vast amounts of resources, which they used to strengthen themselves both militarily and economically.[16]

Unfortunately this also overstretched the Clan, especially when the peoples of these worlds unexpectedly began resisting the Steel Viper's rule, and civilian disturbances increasingly tied down Steel Viper military assets. When the Refusal War between Clans Jade Falcon and Wolf broke out, the Steel Vipers were in no position to take advantage of the situation. In fact the war only increased the number of uprisings and further destabilized Steel Viper worlds, especially when the Wolves' "liberation" policy of freeing and arming civilians on conquered Jade Falcon worlds became known. Christopher Ahmed responded to this situation first by leaking intelligence on Wolf movements to the Jade Falcons, then by granting Natasha Kerensky's request for the Wolves and Jade Falcons to stage a battle on Twycross.[16]

Ahmed justified his actions as a way of allowing the two Clans to continue pummeling each other until only the Steel Vipers would be left as the strongest to face the Federated Commonwealth, and as a way of earning the Steel Vipers the gratitude of the eventual victor for their assistance. The end result of the Refusal War bore none of the fruits saKhan Ahmed promised and the Steel Viper Clan Council effectively charged him with treason. Rather than taking the matter before the Grand Council as was his right, saKhan Ahmed agreed to be judged by the Clan Council, which found him guilty. He then demanded a Trial of Refusal, which was fought between himself and Khan Zalman's Champion, Brett Andrews. Andrews killed Ahmed on 14 March 3058 and assumed his position as saKhan.[16]

The trial of Christopher Ahmed caused great anger among many of his supporters though, and for the next few months the Steel Vipers were paralyzed by political infighting, further preventing them from preying upon the weakened Wolf and Jade Falcon Clans. Eventually the deadlock gave way towards the summer of 3058, but by that point the Steel Viper Khans was called back to the homeworlds to elect a new ilKhan. To add insult to injure whole Clusters were lost in the Harvest Trials to Clan Wolf, bolstering their numbers at the Steel Vipers' expense. They bore witness to the destruction of the Smoke Jaguars by the Second Star League and sat out the Great Refusal, joining the Warden Clans in opposition to the Crusaders. In the Wars of Possession which took place afterwards, the Steel Vipers hardly participated. They attempted to sieze former Smoke Jaguar holdings on Homer but were repulsed by Clan Cloud Cobra. Additionally, the Snow Ravens regained a portion of Hellgate and used it to stage strikes against the Steel Vipers in an effort to retake their former possession.[16][17]

The reason for the Steel Viper's token efforts in the Wars of Possession became very apparent on 1 April 3061 when the Clan launched a massive invasion of the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone. Khan Zalman had been seeking a casus belli to attack the Jade Falcons, and found it when Khan Marthe Pryde allowed Diana Pryde to compete for her Bloodname. Between the start of hostilities and 15 May the Steel Vipers succeeded in capturing thirteen Jade Falcon worlds. Building on this success the Clan launched a second wave of attacks, and between 16 May and 1 June captured another seven.[18]

Unfortunately the Steel Vipers had not counted on the sudden arrival of Marthe Pryde with fresh reinforcements on 4 June. The Jade Falcons outflanked the Steep Vipers, striking against the lightly-held coreward planets while (with approval from Vlad Ward) other units traveled through the Wolf Occupation Zone to strike at the spinward worlds. Within weeks the Jade Falcons had retaken many of their holdings and moved on to seized Steel Viper worlds.[18]

The critical moment came on Waldorff, where both sides deployed several Galaxies of troops. The rules of zellbrigen were completely forgotten as the two Clans went at each other, none more so than Perigard Zalman who personally sought out Diana Pryde. The Steel Viper Khan finally caught the young Jade Falcon MechWarrior on Daemon Beach, but despite superior numbers he was defeated. Realizing his forces could not prevail, Perigard Zalman grudgingly accepted Marthe Pryde's offer of hegira and agreed to withdraw not only from the Jade Falcon worlds they'd seized but from the entire Occupation Zone. Arriving back at the homeworlds in January 3062 the Steel Vipers began to consolidate their holdings in Clan space, ejecting the Snow Ravens from Homer.[18]

Early in their history the Steel Vipers adopted a form of self-enforced isolation, though nowhere near as extreme as practiced by the Blood Spirits, which led to their unique philosophical position among the Clans. Depending on one's viewpoint they could be regarded as Crusading Wardens or Warden Crusaders. The Clan's central tenet, instilled in them by Sanra Mercer, was the restoration of the true Star League through cooperation with the Inner Sphere rather than total subjugation. Of course this "cooperation" would take place under the benevolent guidance of the Steel Vipers, following the complete destruction of the Inner Sphere's military forces so that the misguided Spheroids may be led onto the path of truth by the rightful ilClan. However, efforts at enforcing this policy within their Occupation Zone were less than satisfactory. While they blamed their failures on previous Jade Falcon mismanagement and extremists who did not wish to be liberated, the Vipers failed to realize it was largely their discrimination of freeborns that would forever doom their efforts.[19]

Mirroring the views of more fanatical Clans such the Smoke Jaguars, the Steel Vipers' low opinions regarding freeborns relegated them to the lower rungs of society and as such they were treated poorly. This policy extended into martial matters, and save for a brief period under Khan Perigard Zalman, freeborns were generally barred completely from serving in the Steel Viper touman.[19]

Because Steel Viper military training was so strenuous and the number of drop-out cadets was so high, the Clan had a much higher percentage of trueborns among their civilian castes than in other Clans. However because their training was so intense there was less stigma to this failure than normal; many trueborns rose to become the leaders of their civilian castes, and so served as in important bridge between the warriors and the other castes.[18]

The command structure of Clan Steel Viper's touman emphasized a clear delegation of authority and well-defined areas of operations. The Khans laid out the grand strategy of a campaign, which was enacted by Galaxy Commanders who formed the strategic command of each operation and delegated tactical responsibilities to their Star Colonels. The effect was that individual commanders were given considerable leeway in how they completed their objectives. However, cooperation between Steel Viper Galaxies was poor, as each commander recognized only the authority of the Khans and the Clan Council, and even within a Galaxy the Cluster commanders would only accept orders from their immediate superior. For large-scale operations then one of the Khans must be present in order to coordinate multiple Galaxies, with a similar problem for multi-Cluster operations. This heavy reliance on senior officers rendered the Steel Vipers especially vulnerable to headhunter operations; as happened on Tukayyid, should senior command be incapacitated, cooperation breaks down and individual units can be isolated and destroyed in force.[20]

On the tactical scale Steel Viper units relied on maneuverability and firepower, with many battle plans centered around these concepts such as the Viper's Maw or The Coil. The Steel Vipers' attitudes towards zellbrigen however was one of pragmatism and adaptability, a fact which ensured success over the centuries. Against a respected Clan foe the rules of honorable combat were staunchly followed. For those considered dishonorable such as Inner Sphere forces or a mortal enemy like the Jade Falcons, whatever was deemed necessary to ensure victory was permitted.[21]

Clan Steel Viper warriors underwent the toughest training of any other Clan save the Blood Spirits, which took place at the Sandsea Training Camp on New Kent or the Fer-de-lance facility on Arcadia. Where most sibkos would graduate four or five warriors, Steel Viper siboks would graduate one or two at most. The Trial of Position to become a warrior also differed in that it forced cadets to face another member of their sibko to ensure only the very best graduated. The issue of graduating fewer warriors per sibko was somewhat alleviated by the practice of training twice as many cadets as other Clans, resulting in only a slightly smaller touman. Because of the ban on freebirths serving in the touman, the Steel Vipers also allowed a cadet to fight a second Trial of Position and so earn a place in the conventional infantry ranks; these "seconds" however were treated no better than the freebirths they replaced.[21]

The Steel Vipers, again despite their talk of cooperation, were almost completely at a loss for allies among their fellow Clans. Their isolationist and self-serving politics alienated both Warden and Crusader Clans and their arrogant attitude towards others did not serve them well. The Clan made enemies of the Snow Ravens for their attacks on Homer and of the Jade Falcons for stymieing many of their political ploys. Prior to Operation Revival, the Steel Vipers made enemies of Clan Fire Mandrill with whom they shared the world of Marshall on account of their arrogance, igniting a low-level feud which lasted for many years.[18]